|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:20 pm
Cue the guilt.
He shouldn’t have looked back. Now he could see that she was made gloomy by his actions. Or at least unhappy enough to sag her shoulders and hang her head. The hair was in her eyes. That was classic for ‘I’m not in a good mood’. It was bothering him greatly to see that she was so upset with him.
Maybe the injuries had given him an infection. An infection that was eating at his brain and forcing out the compassion that had been locked away for years. That was the only reason he could provide for what happened next.
He turned and moved back towards her, paws slipping slowly over the ground, silent in the grass. Without saying anything, he sat himself beside her, staring out at the lake with an impassive expression plastered over his features. For a few seconds he lingered in quiet, not sure what he was supposed to do now that he was beside her. No. He knew what to do. It was just getting the words out that was proving to be the trick.
“I’m… sorry,” he said lowly, not taking his eyes from the water, “I’m not good at this kind of thing.”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:36 pm
Chikala flinched when Jeraha returned, having been thrown back into her usual mindset around other lions because of his better health and how he had gotten upset with her just moments before. But he just sat there for what seemed like forever, and then he... apologized. She let out a small snort of laughter, a bitter little thing, and she shook her head slowly.
"It's my fault. I do that all the time... doing things for others... I don't know. I forget that... not everyone likes that," she replied and dipped a paw into the water, swirling it around a bit.
"I promise I'll leave you alone now that you're better. I'll... watch and make sure nothing surprises you while you're in my territory, but I'll let you alone," she added, watching the ripples her paw had made. The water reminded her.
"Oh, about before. I would never push someone into the water, even if we were just playing," she added, her shoulders rising and falling in a small shrug. She half wondered why he came back, but set the thought aside. Sad to say, she really didn't care much anymore. She was tired and a little sick at the thought of letting that fish go to waste and worn out from their verbal sparring.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:04 pm
Blood starting to boil, Jeraha snapped his head towards the female. He apologized and she decided it would be a good idea to laugh at it? Laugh at the male who could, though injured, probably rip her in half if he so decided to do so. The male who had made her flinch just sitting beside her. Why on earth would she think to laugh at him so spitefully? As she shook her head, he waited from some kind of explanation, his body tensing in his irritation.
“I suppose we’re both just set in our ways then,” he replied faintly, “you and your excessive kindness, me in my extreme distrust in anything breathing.” He didn’t mind teasing himself a little. It was others teasing him that he just couldn’t stand. Even the lightest joke he took rather personally, having been teased so much in his youth. Lowered his tolerance for the stuff.
Another product of his father’s care.
Watching the water her paw was shifting, the male took another long pause of silence, contemplating his next few words. Did he really want her to leave? It had been his goal all along, but not like this. She wasn’t furious with him. She seemed more sad than anything else. Sad, when coated in anger, he didn’t mind. This was bothering him greatly.
“If you want it,” he said, “you may leave. I’m not going to force you to stay in company that displeases you.” He looked still at the water, tilting his head to one side as she continued.
“You wouldn’t have been able to push me anyway,” Jeraha said with a faint smile, “but I suppose that’s good to know. Fits with what I’ve already seen of your character.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:43 pm
Chikala smiled a tiny bit and shrugged. She had been focused on the water, so she didn't notice how his head jerked after she had laughed.
"I don't mind your company. Actually, I kinda enjoy it, when we're not exactly fighting. I don't meet a lot of others, and it gets lonely sometimes," she paused there, considering. despite her fright over predators larger than her, she was usually quick to trust. Someday she might learn that she was too quick to trust, but for now she was just fine.
"I guess that's why I talk so much and act the way I do," she added and turned to look at him with a small smirk, flicking her mane from her face.
"I'm stronger than I look," she shot back, the light returning to her eyes as she spoke.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 8:57 am
“I see," remarked Jeraha, grunting softly, “that’s why you’ve stuck around so long. You haven’t met enough of the normal stock to know you would do best to avoid someone like me,” he looked at her for a moment, emerald green eyes inspecting her frame, “I’m not exactly a normal lion. Most of the others aren’t as… combative as I am. So don’t go assuming everyone is this much of an a**, alright?”
He knew he was a jerk, why deny it? Most of the time he consciously chose to act up just to make sure he didn’t open himself up to people. It wasn’t the real him, but it was so prolonged an act with him that it almost felt true.
Staying one way so long can change a person for good.
“You don’t talk much,” he mumbled, “at least you don’t talk more than you should. I probably would have already left if you were one of those senseless babblers.”
At her next comment, the large male gave a laugh. “Oh? Well, I suppose you’d have to be. Because you don’t look very strong at all,” he teased lightly, not trying to be mean for a change.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:37 pm
"Truth be told, I WOULD have avoided you, if you hadn't been so banged up," Chikala replied and shrugged.
"I have met a couple of other lions before. But two or three isn't really enough to make a proper basis on the general personalities of our species. And I try to have a reason for speaking when I do," she added and stood. She padded into the water and walked a bit into the water, far enough so that she could dunk her head in, sending te water running coolly down her neck. The day was growing and getting warmer and the water was wonderfully soothing.
She turned back around, her wet mane hanging in her face, and walked back towards him. She stepped from the water and walked past, grabbing and returning with the fish. She set it down and gave him a questioning look.
"So, will you be eating this or what? I wouldn't want it to go to waste," she asked, tilting her head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:59 am
Jeraha grunted at that, the course note taking the tone of a light, single beat chuckle. “Honesty is the best policy, I see,” he remarked, “’truth be told’ if I hadn’t have been injured I wouldn’t have come to a place like this. The only reason I did was because I was mildly delusional from pain and it looked like a safe place to go. Who knew it would end up the home of perhaps the most annoying female lion ever I did meet?” He watched her carefully, the normal malice in his eyes removed for something a bit softer.
Like he was actually having good-natured fun with her.
“I see,” replied the larger-than-normal lion, “I suppose it’s good you’re not so quick to judge others, albeit a bit silly. A trait I, admittedly, don’t have. Animals are a genuinely stupid lot. With the exception of myself, and perhaps you, there’s not an intelligent one in the lot. At least not that have graced my presence in the entire span of my life. I’ll save you the pain of talking to more lions in the future: they’re all brutes and idiots who care more about fighting and bragging about their hunting skills than anything else.” Shaking his head, he looked down at his front leg, watching the skull and snake emblem sitting over his flesh and fur. Nervous habit.
Attention was drawn away though, when the female stood, his bright green eyes staying on her frame as she progressed away from him. Watching her get wet in the water was, as he would later refuse to admit, not that bad.
Her return with the fish prompted a lively debate between his mind and his stomach. One was hesitant to take the offer, still locating it the realm of pity, while the other was knowing furiously at his being trying to demand him eat the damn thing and forget about his silly self-imposed rules. “What about you?” he said after a moment, “why don’t you eat it? I told you I could get my own.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:37 am
"Then you obviously haven't met many females. Believe me, there's worse than me out there," Chikala required, her smile taking on a teasing tilt. She noticed, of course, that he was teasing and not actually putting down her actions and she enjoyed that. She was glad to see he was at least beginning to relax a bit more. And that was a very good sign for his injuries.
She frowned a bit at his view of other creatures and shrugged.
"I imagine you're right on some points, but not all lions have to be that way. You're not, and I don't think I am, am I?" she asked, tilting her head a bit. She looked back down at the fish and shrugged again.
"I'm more tired than hungry," she replied without thinking and realized what it was she just brought up. Oh well. "One outweighs the other."
The little lioness continued her downward and looked at the mark on his leg. She'd never seen anything like it, and it intrigued her. That was a snake, but she wasn't sure what that... rock-looking thing was. Maybe it was a rock. But it kind of looked like the skull within the head of a monkey, only not exactly. She considered asking him about it, but she couldn't think of exactly how to phrase it. Her attention was caught and held, her eyes partially hidden behind her wet mane.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:29 am
Jeraha took a moment before responding to her question, building a bit of anticipation for some fun. Plus, he really wasn’t sure what he thought of her anymore. This was why he stuck to his all-encompassing view of the world and never stayed in contact with lions more than a few minutes. Now he was starting to think differently of her and there was nothing he could do to change it. He didn’t want to go back to being an a** all of a sudden- after the conversation they were having it seemed rather rude to do so- so he was sort of trapped like a rat.
“Well, I’m worse than other lions so that doesn’t really say much,” he remarked casually, “and you… well… I guess the jury is still out on you. But, no, you don’t seem to be like the others. Thanks for ruining my perception of lions, by the way, now I might have to re-think how I look at just about everything because of you.” He was joking, of course.
No way he was going to change his ways for another lion, no matter how cute she seemed to be.
“I see,” he said to her being tired, feeling a little guilty. It was probably from dealing with his antics so much. But, oh well, it wasn’t like he had asked her to do. If she was tired it was her own fault and he had no reason to feel bad. “So take a nap then,” he added after a moment, “doesn’t seem like this place is the center of random attacks.”
He watched the fish for a moment, chewing his tongue as he continued the lively debate. To eat or not to eat. Finally, reluctantly, he moved his paw forward, placing it gently on top of the fish and pulling it towards his body. It was then he noticed she was looking at the mark on his arm.
“I don’t know what it is or what it means,” he told her without her having to say anything, “but it garters a lot of attention.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:04 pm
She smiled and laughed a little bit in the back of her throat.
"Well, I'm glad to be an exception," she replied and considered his suggestion. Since he took the fish, it seemed like a good idea. Chikala walked a few paces away, just to give both of them a bit more space and curled up, placing her chin on her paws. Her eyes closed and she hummed in thought.
"You're right. It isn't, but I'm wary of things that hide out in the depths of the trees. Plus, as I believe you said before, there's the possibility that the ones that roughed you up might return," she spoke softly, drowsily. She hadn't been really up-beat that morning, more the soft kind of happiness, of contentment. The kind a creature felt after fighting through a long ordeal and coming out exhausted, but victorious. Of course, hers was only because of her lack of energy coupled with her usual, positive attitude.
"I'm sorry I stared. It's interesting... and intriguing that I didn't really notice it before... No... No wonder you like snakes."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:50 am
“Are you?” Jeraha replied, “I’m not. You’re messing up my finely-tuned views on the world.” Though he now had the fish in front of him, he still wasn’t attempted enough to actually eat it. But he was getting closer. Maybe when she was napping he could eat without looking like such an idiot. From the corned of his eye he watched her lie down, unable to pinpoint exactly why he thought it was such a nice sight.
“Nah, I’m not interested in snakes because of this thing,” he replied, giving the leg one more scan before disregarding it once more. Having seen it all his life, he really didn’t find it as fascinating as everyone else seemed to. It wasn’t like it did anything. It was just a strange skull of some kind that he had never been able to identify and a snake going through it, nothing more.
“I like snakes because I find them very interesting,” thoughtfully hummed the larger male, “I’m sure their poisons could be used, if I could just find a way to get it from their fangs without, you know, being bitten. Anyway, you take your nap. If those other lions return I’ll be on guard.” He didn’t think they would come around- they didn’t seem smart enough to finish a job that they had started. Killing him was probably down on their idiot list of things to do.
Or at least under bragging senselessly and babbling on about nothing.
He frowned, looking away from the female. If something did attack them, would he really bring himself to protect another? She was a female and it had happened before. Jeraha was well aware of his problem; he couldn’t walk away from a situation. Should he happen to see someone in trouble, he went to help. Even in secrecy. So long as an issue was resolved, he didn’t need credit. Often didn’t want it. Perhaps this would be the same as though instances, should it happen.
Though somehow he felt it would be more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:34 am
"Mmm, sorry. I guess I'll have to try harder to behave," Chikala replied with a soft laugh. She idly considered what he said about the snakes, drifting deeper and deeper into her half-asleep state. He had a good point. If a little bit of a plant helped you, even if a lot of it hurt you, maybe it was similar with snakes. It seemed like he knew a good bit more about stuff like that than she did and that made her wonder if he was also a healer, or sorts. Well, that only made him more of a silly male. He should have anticipated the possibility of a bad reaction to those plants the day before. But the thought made her smile a bit. Silly, maybe. Rebellious? Probably. But all in all, she had enjoyed herself at times the previous day. And for her, a good memory was worth ten bad ones.
"Sounds complicated... Glad I haven't run into poisonous kind before... only big ones that bite and hold and crush," she added on his snake theory, her words a murmur, almost as if she was talking in her sleep.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:12 am
“We’re opposites,” Jeraha commented, “since I haven’t seen one of those larger snakes.” He wanted to though. Maybe he could ask her to show him one some time. Though, he saw now wasn’t the time to ask such a thing. Looking over he saw that Chikala had fallen to sleep, or at least seemed on her way to slumber. He smiled faintly, sitting around for a while and doing just as he said he would. The male was watching out to make sure nothing came around to bother her while she slept.
But, after a while, he started to re-think his situation. What was he doing? Sitting around watching a female sleep. It was ridiculous. His stomach tightened at the thought, his throat closing.
Things were getting out of paw; she really was messing up his entire world. What did he even know about her to be willing to act so differently? Just a story about her past and that she hadn’t been raised by lions. That was basically it. Yet, he was intrigued, wanting to know more. No, it was better to cut and run before he started to trust her. Nothing good ever came from trusting another. Long ago he had learned that.
So he got to his feet, leaving her and the fish behind as he slowly limped out of the clearing and away from her territory. Maybe not saying goodbye was kind of mean, but it was for the best.
Leaving on a bad note meant she might not miss him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
